Shiite militias, according to witness reports, have killed at least 72 unarmed Iraqi’s. Onlookers said security forces stood by and watched as the massacre took place. The Iraqi government has launched an investigation into the claims.

The alleged executions are said to have taken place in the
village of Barwanah, near the town of Sinsil, which is in the
east of the country and had fallen to Islamic State (IS, formerly
ISIS/ISIL) militants during the summer.

The massacre on January 26 followed a three-day offensive by
Shiite militias and government troops, which had captured two
dozen villages in the area. It would seem Barwanah has now been
wrested from the control of the IS.

Survivors of the ordeal say that Shiite militias were responsible
as well as Iraqi security forces. Reuters, which exclusively
reported the story, said it managed to speak to five witnesses
who gave their versions of the claimed atrocities.

The incident is believed to have happened on Monday afternoon
when 10 Humvees arrived in the village of Barwanah, carrying men
wearing black and brown uniforms, which are usually worn by
Shiite militias and Iraqi security forces. There were also some
civilians present amongst the group that arrived in the
settlement, witnesses stated.

Speaking to Reuters, Abu Omar mentioned how the villagers were
dragged from their homes, regardless of their age. He mentioned
the fighters took the men's mobiles and ID cards, then bound
their hands, tying him to his 12-year-old mentally-ill son with
rope. They did the same with his two older sons and three
brothers.

UN Calls for Inquiry into the Alleged Massacre in Iraq's Diyala
Province

They were then taken to a field and were forced to kneel for
around two hours, before some were led away to different spots in
the settlement. There were over a hundred people present,
witnesses stated.

"They took them behind the wall. Less than a minute, then a
gunshot," Abu Omar said. "All we could hear was the
gunshots. We couldn't see."

Another witness who spoke to Reuters said that the Iraqi
government forces stood by helplessly and some were crying as the
militias murdered the civilians. Another, Abdullah al-Jubouri,
who hid in a pile of rubbish after seeing the Humvees
approaching, said he saw soldiers and militiamen firing at lines
of civilians – some of whom had their hands tied.

"I saw them falling like domino pieces," he added.

Abu Mazel, who also saw what unfolded, gave a very similar
account, saying that he noticed some of the gunman were wearing
green headbands, with the name ‘Hussein’ inscribed, who is an
important figure in Shiite history.

Mazel mentioned that he was forced to kneel along with his
cousin. He heard others beg for mercy, as they were being dragged
away to be killed.

"My cousin raised his head, so someone slapped him," he
said. "Five minutes later, they came and took him away and
executed him."

These accounts have been questioned by the Iraqi government and
security forces, which say that IS forces could have carried out
the killings. A spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider
al-Abadi says the government will launch an investigation into
the allegations.

"The prime minister has ordered an urgent investigation and
we are awaiting the results," said Rafid Jaboori, as
reported by Reuters. "I don't want to come to any conclusions
now. When the results of this investigation come out, we will
have a full picture."

A Sunni member of the Diyala provincial council said that at
least 72 people had been killed, while another 35 were missing.
In reply, a Shiite member of the same organization said that no
one should jump to conclusions until the government’s
investigation has been completed.

"If it reveals that those men executed were terrorists, then
we don't have any problem because in this case they got what they
deserve," the Shiite council member told Reuters. "If
the findings prove they were civilians, then justice should be
done and those who did it must be arrested."

Baranwah is located in the Diyala province, which borders Iran.
The area has been plagued by violence for months, with IS
fighting Shiite militias for control of the region, northeast of
the capital, Baghdad. IS forces have carried out suicide bombings
in the province, while Shiite forces have been accused of killing
Sunnis in retaliation, Reuters reports.

In August, at least 68 Sunni worshipers were killed in a mosque
in the province, with a Shiite militia blamed for the attack,
which was confirmed by an Iraqi security source.